Atlus has been having a strong 2024, which kicked off with the release ofPersona 3 Reloadand was followed by titles likeUnicorn Overlord,Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, and most recently,Metaphor: ReFantazio. The JRPG juggernaut is highly regarded for creating expansive worlds and beloved characters for players to experience, andMetaphor: ReFantaziodelivers those in spades. However, the game still seems lacking in one area compared to whatPersona 3 Reloadwas able to achieve earlier this year.
Despite not being directly related to thePersonaseries,Metaphor: ReFantaziodraws an easy comparison to Atlus' other popular franchisesdue to the similar mechanics the two share. Aside from the iconic Press Turn combat system fromShin Megami Tenseiand the calendar system fromPersonagames,Metaphor: ReFantaziois the most similar to the latter series in its use of social mechanics that allow players to build bonds with characters to enhance their combat potential. While these Followers act likePersona’s Social Links,Metaphor: ReFantaziodoesn’t feature the same magnitude of voiced lines for Follower rank-up events asPersona 3 Reload.
As a remake of the PS2’sPersona 3, Atlus went all-out to ensurePersona 3 Reloadwas the definitive version of the game, despite omitting the fan-favoritefemale protagonist option fromPersona 3 Portable. In an effort to expand the content available inPersona 3 Reload, the game’s iconic Social Links were given a major overhaul to include full-voiced lines of dialogue for rank-up events. As a result,Persona 3 Reloadfeatured the most voiced lines of dialogue of any game in the series.
With the bar for voiced lines of dialogue set high byPersona 3 Reload, it’s not surprising to see thatMetaphor: ReFantaziodoesn’t make as extensive use of its voice acting as P3R. In particular, the lack of voice acting during the majority of Follower rank-up scenes can be felt when compared to the fully-voiced scenes inPersona 3 Reload. As a result,Metaphor: ReFantazio’s excellent voice performances don’t get as much of a chance to shine in-game asPersona 3 Reload’s do.
The initial scenes of forging abond with a Follower inMetaphor: ReFantazioinclude voiced dialogue, but subsequent rank-up scenes are largely missing that same voice acting.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Voiced Protagonist Lines Help Make Up the Difference
WhileMetaphor: ReFantaziomay be lacking the same number of voiced Follower rank-up scenes asPersona 3 Reload’s Social Links, it somewhat makes up for it by giving the protagonist more of a voice. Although Persona protagonists do tend to have voiced lines of dialogue, they are typically limited and mostly include the protagonist shouting the name of the Persona they are summoning. When it comes to voiced lines of dialogue in conversation, players usually only get to choose the response they want and the other characters react without ever hearing the protagonist speak it.
Metaphor: Refantazio, on the other hand, allows the protagonist to actually speak a line of dialogue based on the response selected by the player. This system helps the protagonist grow into more of a character that can be shaped to a degree by the player’s dialogue choices, which goes a long way toward supporting the protagonist’s role as a participant in thequest for Euchronia’s crown. WhileMetaphor: ReFantaziodoesn’t go as far asPersona 3 Reloadwith its voiced dialogue, it uses voice acting in its own unique way that deserves to be a blueprint for future Atlus games, potentially includingPersona 6.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
WHERE TO PLAY
From the creative minds behind Persona 3, 4, and 5 comes Metaphor: ReFantazio, a unique fantasy world, where your protagonist will journey alongside his fairy companion, Gallica, to lift the curse from the kingdom’s lost prince.Control your destiny, face your fears, and awaken magical Archetype powers that lie dormant in your heart. By awakening to an Archetype, you will unlock the power to channel and combine the abilities of unique job classes. Strengthen your bonds and build your party to take down powerful foes and discover the kingdom’s true nature.
